ManchestersInMongolia: A Shoe Box In Mongolia

Written by Denise:

It is May in Mongolia, but lately we've been celebrating Christmas. Wait....did she just type Christmas? Yep! Christmas!

Let me give you a bit of back history first ~

Every fall at my church in Wyoming, Evanston Alliance Church, we filled empty shoeboxes and plastic tupperware containers with school supplies, tooth brushes, t-shirts, socks, matchbox cars, chap stick, stickers, baby dolls, combs, and other items that children between the ages of 5-14 would enjoy receiving. Each gift shoe box was unique and created with love, carefully and thoughtfully put together for an unknown boy or girl.

After all the boxes were gathered, wrapped and labeled, we would pray for the journey it was about to go on, and for the child who would receive it. These small shoe boxes demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children all around the world.

Together with the local church worldwide, these boxes share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and that is the mission of Operation Christmas Child.

Listening to the Good News story.

Steve, After-School Sports Coord.

Learning new games

This spring I was personally blessed with the opportunity to go to a school in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and help distribute Christmas shoe boxes.

After many years of making shoe boxes, I never imagined
getting to see the end result with my own eyes! I invited my friends Zaya and Zolo to come with me, and together we joined along with an after-school sports program to teach the school children new games and laugh with silly clowns. The children even sang for us and performed dances. It was a wonderful time for everyone.

Going on this box distribution made me realize just how loving and amazing God truly is. I use to make one box each year. My church use to collect and donate around 100 - 200 boxes each year. This year I learned that 70,000 boxes were being distributed in Mongolia alone! That's just one country! My head begins to swim thinking about all the boxes that people worldwide donate annually! And then realized.....that is ALOT of LOVE!!!!